Globalization Reader - Essay Example

? Newspaper Review [School Affiliation According to The Globalization Reader, Globalization is the interconnectivity and interaction between the different countries of the world. It is the growth and increasing connectivity to a global or international scale. Globalization can be in terms of politics, culture, ideologies, people and economic activities (Boli & Lechner, 2004). It is considered that globalization is just another name of Westernization but there's more to it than the golden age of the West. The globalization in the West has led to better living standards and tremendous educational and economic reforms. This aspect of globalization makes it look like a marvelous contribution of the Western world but on the other hand it has also led to Western dominance. Capitalism has thrived due to Westernization and there is no place for poorer countries in the new globalized business plans and laws. This makes globalization a curse rather than a blessing in the minds of the people of underdeveloped countries (Sen, 2002). The headlines in newspapers are full of news about meetings of representatives and envoys of various countries with those of other nations. These meetings and conferences express the increasing globalization and also support the fact that globalization is not only a Western phenomenon. Similarly the leading newspaper Wall Street Journal covers international affairs as well as the local news. The major headlines show the interrelationship of different nations around the globe and their interactions with each other in terms of politics, culture, regional peace etc. Such an article which shows that the world is a globalized place is present in the issue of the newspaper under discussion. It is about the bilateral meeting held between the U.S President Barack Obama and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Yusuf Raza Gillani at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul (Lee, 2012). Meanwhile Shanghai, China is embracing globalization by devising an easier method for foreign banks to bring money in the country. This was made possible by lifting the debt quota on the foreign banks (Wang, 2012). According to another news article, the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to sign the six point peace plan according to which the military will withdraw from the rebel outposts. This type of interaction between two countries is an example of negative globalization as Syrian military has been attacking the rebel forces in Lebanese territory (Abi-Habib, 2012). All of the above mentioned articles are demonstrating the phenomenon of globalization as they are depicting the connectivity and interaction of two or more countries at a global level. Implications of the Articles and the Photos in the Newspapers: As globalization is usually associated with the West and the Western countries have managed to achieve better human resources and living conditions than the Asiatic countries and the regions of Africa, most developing and underdeveloped countries are trying their utmost to follow the same footsteps so they may achieve their economic targets as well. The articles included in the Wall Street Journal had similar information. Some countries are happily extending their hands to other countries and making good connections by interacting with the rest of the world, others are not so candid, they have their plans regarding globalization but they do not disclose them openly. Some countries like China were not too keen about economic globalization but eventually they have realized its importance. Other articles show that globalization does not always have good effects and it is not always positive. Some nations are entangled in globalization because of their crises with other countries. As Barber suggests another factor in the way of globalization is one's religious views and faiths. He gives the example of Jihad in Islam as Muslims living in any part of the world, no matter how many geographical boundaries separate, they consider themselves a nation as a whole. And the fundamentalists amongst them want to wage war on any country which does not abide by the Islamic rules. This creates animosity between countries thus affecting the globalization (Barber, 1995). There are many photos which depict globalization and interactions between the envoys of different countries. One picture shows U.S President Barack Obama standing beside the Prime Minister of Pakistan; Yusuf Raza Gilani. Their meeting was held to seek better terms between the two countries; the agenda involved was of a positive nature so this picture clearly shows the message of peace and collaboration amongst the two countries and the prospects of tolerance and understanding in the future (Lee, 2012). Similarly other pictures which go along with their relevant articles also depict the motives of globalization lucidly. Newspaper’s sections and articles forming a coherent view of the world One of the foremost qualities of a good newspaper should be its balance and the coherence of its contents. A newspaper can never rise to international standards if it continues publishing local stories only. Similarly focusing entirely on the international headlines and neglecting the local happenings is not a wise strategy either. The Wall Street Journal has different publications from different parts of the world like Asia, U.S, and Europe etc. Each of these publications of newspapers has further categories as well to form a balanced yet succinct new edition. The first page or page one covers the front section which includes the top most news which is usually of a broad, international scope. There's a section for business and finance which deals with the economic globalization. The world news section keeps updates from all over the world in check. These entire sections merge together to create a coherent newspaper. The Presence of Globalization Demonstrated in Various Articles: The above mentioned three articles have the essence of globalization in them as they are all demonstrating interrelationships of countries. China hasn't been culturally open to other countries and its globalization was adapted to certain areas only but now China has started making amendments in its policies and has paved way for easier financing for foreign bankers and lenders in the country. This is an example of economic globalization as it involves the trading of massive financial capital in different markets of the world. Similarly, the article about the withdrawal of Syrian military troops is an excellent example of political globalization. The political interaction of two countries is involved and to keep things at bay United Nations is also playing its part in this political globalization (Abi-Habib, 2012). A Historical Artifact: Globalized events which hold historic importance are sometimes considered globalization heritage. They are set as examples and are referred to as samples of globalization for that specific time period. The rebellion which broke out in the Middle East and in the light of the article being discussed, especially in Syria is of great historical importance as the oppressed members of the society stood up for themselves and in the end the government had no chance but to call off the raid. The UNO was involved in this as well as several other countries, so this event is of major global importance; it can be taken as a historical artifact which can represent the globalization in the year 2012. References Abi-Habib, M. (2012, March 28). UN says Syria accepts plan; fighting goes on. The Wall Street Journal, p. A7 Barber, B. (1995). Jihad vs mcworld. 17-27 Boli, J., & Lechner, F. (2004). The globalization reader. (3rd ed., pp. 23-114). Blackwell Pub. Lee, C. E. (2012, March 28). Obama, Pakistan premier seek better ties. The Wall Street Journal Sen, A. (2002). How to judge globalism. The American Prospect, 13(1), Wang, W. (2012, March 28). China lifts debt quotas for foreign banks. The Wall Street Journal Read More